Harry Potter and his villainous Uncle Vernon may not have had the best relationship, but the same could most certainly not be said for the actors who played them in the Harry Potter films — Daniel Radcliffe and the late Richard Griffiths.
RELATED: Richard Griffiths, Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon, Has Died
In the wake of the sad passing of Griffiths, who died on Thursday at the age of 65 from complications after having heart surgery, Radcliffe remembered his screen and stage (in addition to the Potter movies, the two British actors also worked together in his Broadway debut Equus) co-star and mentor. In a statement released to Hollywood.com, Radcliffe said of Griffiths:
"Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursley's, which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease. Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."
RELATED: Daniel Radcliffe Proves Himself as a Star at Sundance
Radcliffe isn't the only star to remember their time with the gifted, award-winning actor fondly. On Twitter, actor Tom Hiddleston, who worked with him on BBC TV movie series The Hollow Crown posted, "Dearest Richard Griffiths, we will miss you."
[Photo credit: Eamonn McCormack/WireImage]
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While his blockbuster role of Harry Potter's dastardly Uncle Vernon is sure to earn a few boos and hisses (a testament to his villainous performance), the world will long be cheering for Richard Griffiths, the beloved British character actor who has delighted film and television audiences since the 1970s and '80s. Tragically, Griffiths is reported by the Associated Press to have passed away on Thursday due to complications following heart surgery at age 65.
Advancing far beyond the one-off television roles in the mid-'70s that launched his career, Griffiths has made his mark on blockbuster franchises, critical favorites, and cult classics alike. While his recent years have branded him most recognizable as J.K. Rowling's Vernon Durnsley, or Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' King George, fans will recall Griffiths from his earlier work — most of all, perhaps, from his major role in the bizarre black comedy Withnail &amp; I, in which he played the titular character's uncle Monty.
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Following this turn, and a slew of smaller parts in big productions (Gandhi, Superman II, Chariots of Fire), Griffiths went on to establish himself as a formidable character actor. He impressed audiences throughout the '90s with his turns in Naked Gun II: The Smell of Fear (in which he played a wheelchair-bound villain), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, and the comedy crime series Pie in the Sky.
Recent years have seen Griffiths lead the dramatic comedy The History Boys as an impassioned and unorthodox school-teacher. The part earned him a Tony for Best Actor forthe stage version of the show and a BAFTA nomination for the screen adaptation. Recently, Griffiths appeared in the smaller but scene-stealing part as a train station patron with an unruly gaggle of puppies in Martin Scorsese's Hugo .
Griffiths is survived by his wife Heather.
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter
[Photo Credit: Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage]
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What’s in a name? It’s a question that plagued The Bard, and one with which we still wrestle on idle Thursday afternoons. If you scan the local multiplex listings this weekend, you may wonder what’s with the name Parker. It seems such an innocuous label for a studio actioner starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez. In reality, Parker is a somewhat revelatory title. Though on the surface it merely refers to its titular character, the naming of this film Parker acknowledges its connection to an entire series, with entries dotting the cinematic landscape of the last several decades. Parker is a character created by author Donald Westlake (who sometimes wrote as Richard Stark). A master criminal who lives by his own code of ethics, Parker often works with crews, and is usually betrayed by a member of his own team... sending him out on the hunt for revenge.
Many of Westlake’s novels centering on Parker have been adapted for the screen. So why isn’t Parker billed as a sequel? Or a remake? The fact is that each of the previous films adapted from Westlake’s Parker novels has changed the name of its antihero protagonist. It is therefore entirely possible that you have actually seen Parker ply his criminal trade on screen multiple times in the past, and been totally unaware of it. We thought we’d help you navigate this strange name game with a complete guide to Parker in film.
Point Blank (1967) - Parker’s alias: "Walker"
The first, and arguably best, adaptation of one of Westlake’s Parker stories was John Boorman’s Point Blank. The movie is a trailblazer in the neo-noir movement. It centers on the same basic crime story content as previous film noir, but with even grittier characters, bleaker themes, and an amplification of violence. In Point Blank, Parker is called Walker, and is played by the incomparable Lee Marvin. One of Point Blank’s greatest strengths is Marvin’s raw, powerful screen presence. When he occupies a scene, it’s a military occupation. The story is based on Westlake’s The Hunter, in which Parker is double-crossed and left for dead after a heist, and goes on a brutal, ceaseless tear to retrieve his money and get revenge. John Vernon as the villain and Boorman’s seething, unflinching tone are also paramount to Point Blank’s legacy as one of the absolute best crime films.
The Split (1968) - Parker’s alias: "McClain"
Though most cinematic incarnations of Parker portrayed him as a Caucasian male, Gordon Flemyng’s The Split showed us that this need not be the case. This time around, Parker was dubbed McCain, and was played by former NFL running back Jim Brown. Though Brown became an icon of the blaxploitation movement, The Split was released a couple of years prior to the inception of that subgenre, making his casting in the lead an even greater nod to his undeniable talent. His charisma and intimidating physicality serve him well as the leader of a gang of thieves who execute a daylight heist during a football game. The success however does not curb the subsequent paranoia and fallout between the crooks… especially when the loot is stolen. The Split, based on the novel The Seventh, is a bit less focused than Point Blank, but its supporting cast more than makes up for its inconsistencies. Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Jack Klugman, and Donald Sutherland all appear.
The Outfit (1973) - Parker’s alias: "Macklin"
Robert Duvall would take up the mantle of Parker just a year after his Oscar-winning performance in The Godfather. In John Flynn’s The Outfit, based on Westlake’s novel of the same name, Parker takes the name Macklin. He finds out, after being released from prison, that his brother has been murdered by gangsters. The Outfit is interesting in that it’s the first iteration of a Parker story to touch upon the character’s family tree, the death of his brother offering new incentive for revenge. Though not quite as exciting as Point Blank or The Split, The Outfit is a glimpse into the bare-bones, pragmatic career-criminal grind. The relationship between Macklin and his friend Cody gives The Outfit much of its personality; Cody is played by southern-fried revenge film icon Joe Don Baker.
Payback (1999) - Parker’s alias: "Porter"
Most likely the filmic Parker with whom most people are best acquainted is Mel Gibson as Porter in Payback. Another adaptation of The Hunter, Brian Helgeland’s Payback is a stylistic throwback to the golden era of neo-noir. In fact, the cinematography casts a seemingly constant distinct blue hue over the entire film; almost a film navy more than a film noir. Payback is violent, funny, and irrepressibly cool. Gibson gives us an irrefutably bad guy, a thief and con man with no compunction toward taking lives, but one with so much swagger and charm that we can’t help but love him. Interesting to note with Payback is that Porter/Parker’s ultimate fate dramatically changes depending on whether you watch the theatrical or the director’s cut.
Those are the major entries into the nebulous Parker franchise, and all films well-worth delving into before watching Statham take on the role this weekend. For the sake of completionism, it should also be noted that Peter Coyote took on the role of Parker in the wholly underwhelming 1983 film Slayground. In that movie, Parker was called Stone. Also, Jean-Luc Goddard’s Made in USA is unofficially based on Westlake’s The Jugger; his Parker was a woman named Paula Nelson. [Photo Credit: Jack English/Film District]
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It's got sex scandals, war heroes, government cover-ups... there's just about zero chance that the David Petraeus story won't become a movie. So the only question surrounding the eventual adaptation of this highly publicized controversy — which involves the recently resigned CIA Director's extramarital affair with his biographer, and the FBI's delay in exposing this news — is what kind of movie it will be.
All of the elements are there for a gripping film, but it's the way in which they are delivered that can change the story entirely. Will the focus be on the rise and fall of Petraeus? The experiences of Paula Broadwell, his mistress and the author of his biography All In: The Education of General Petraeus? The Federal Bureau of Investigation's prolonged concealment of the affair? We've seen this sort of thing run through the Hollywood mill in dozens of different ways. It's just a matter of time before one is chosen for this tour de force of a subject matter...
The Education of David Patraeus
The Oscar-bait Biopic
An introspective chronicle of David Petraeus' (Daniel Day Lewis) rise and fall, painting the agent as a devoted patriot conquered by his sexual compulsions, and Paula Broadwell (Hilary Swank) as Pataeus' counterpart in the web of lies leading to his collapse. Directed by Tom Hooper.
The Company of Agents
The Political Thriller
An intense adventure that follows an earnest young newcomer to the FBI (Emile Hirsch) who begins to suspect that his very own agency might be involved in a mass cover-up of the personal and professional affairs of CIA Director David Petraeus (George Clooney). What seems at first to be a mere sex scandal turns out to be something far more serious. Directed by Oliver Stone.
All Out!
The Wacky Sex Comedy
Davey Petraeus (Steve Carell) has always been a hardworking, devoted American and family man. Now that he's got a fancy new job running the CIA, it seems that there's nothing that can get in his way. That is, until he meets the seductive young reporter Paula Broadwell (Malin Åkerman). You can be finishing his biography will throw his entire world is hurled into chaos. Directed by Todd Phillips.
Dave &amp; Paula
The Tearjerker Romance
For years, soldier-turned-CIA Agent David Patreaus (Richard Gere) and journalist Paula Broadwell (Rachel McAdams) have put their careers ahead of finding love. But when the two meet, their hearts fall victim to passion. With the world clawing them apart, David and Paula vow to find a way to be together. Directed by Cameron Crowe.
Coauthor (previously titled What About Vern?)
The Indie Dramedy
In the wake of the David Petraeus scandal, there is one figure who goes overlooked: Vernon Loeb, Paula Broadwell's coauthor of All In. Loeb finds his spotlight in this offbeat examination of the writer's (Jason Schwartzman) descent to madness as he is robbed of his involvement in the biggest news story of the year, while Broadwell (Judy Greer) climbs the ladder of celebrity. Directed by Michel Gondry.
My Affair with a Spy: Biography of Lies – The Paula Broadwell Story of Forbidden Love: The David Petraeus Scandal
The Lifetime Movie
A heartbreaking look at a chaste young writer (Tori Spelling) who is engulfed by a whirlwind affair with the subject of her first book, a sleazy government operative (one of the other Baldwin brothers that isn't Alec) who steals her career and her dignity. Directed by whoever directs Lifetime movies.
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A kids’ movie without the cheeky jokes for adults is like a big juicy BLT without the B… or the T. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted may have a title that sounds like it was made up in a cartoon sequel laboratory but when it comes to serving up laughs just think of the film as a BLT with enough extra bacon to satisfy even the wildest of animals — or even a parent with a gaggle of tots in tow. Yes even with that whole "Afro Circus" nonsense.
It’s not often that we find exhaustively franchised films like the Madagascar set that still work after almost seven years. Despite being spun off into TV shows and Christmas specials in addition to its big screen adventures the series has not only maintained its momentum it has maintained the part we were pleasantly surprised by the first time around: great jokes.
In this third installment of the series – the trilogy-maker if you will – directing duo Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath add Conrad Vernon (director Monsters Vs. Aliens) to the helm as our trusty gang swings back into action. Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) are stuck in Africa after the hullaballoo of Madagascar 2 and they’ll do anything to get back to their beloved New York. Just a hop skip and a jump away in Monte Carlo the penguins are doing their usual greedy schtick but the zoo animals catch up with them just in time to catch the eye of the sinister animal control stickler Captain Dubois (Frances McDormand). And just like that the practically super human captain is chasing them through Monte Carlo and the rest of Europe in hopes of planting Alex’s perfectly coifed lion head on her wall of prized animals.
Luckily for pint-sized viewers Dubois’ terrifying presence is balanced out by her sheer inhuman strength uncanny guiles and Stretch Armstrong flexibility (ah the wonder of cartoons) as well as Alex’s escape plan: the New Yorkers run away with the European circus. While Dubois’ terrifying Doberman-like presence looms over the entire film a sense of levity (which is a word the kiddies might learn from Stiller’s eloquent lion) comes from the plan for salvation in which the circus animals and the zoo animals band together to revamp the circus and catch the eye of a big-time American agent. Sure the pacing throughout the first act is practically nonexistent running like a stampede through the jungle but by the time we're palling around under the big top the film finds its footing.
The visual splendor of the film (and man is there a champion size serving of it) the magnificent danger and suspense is enhanced to great effect by the addition of 3D technology – and not once is there a gratuitous beverage or desperate Crocodile Dundee knife waved in our faces to prove its worth. The caveat is that the soundtrack employs a certain infectious Katy Perry ditty at the height of the 3D spectacular so parents get ready to hear that on repeat until the leaves turn yellow.
But visual delights and adventurous zoo animals aside Madagascar 3’s real strength is in its script. With the addition of Noah Baumbach (Greenberg The Squid and the Whale) to the screenwriting team the script is infused with a heightened level of almost sarcastic gravitas – a welcome addition to the characteristically adult-friendly reference-heavy humor of the other Madagascar films. To bring the script to life Paramount enlisted three more than able actors: Vitaly the Siberian tiger (Bryan Cranston) Gia the Leopard (Jessica Chastain) and Stefano the Italian Sealion (Martin Short). With all three actors draped in European accents it might take viewers a minute to realize that the cantankerous tiger is one and the same as the man who plays an Albuquerque drug lord on Breaking Bad but that makes it that much sweeter to hear him utter slant-curse words like “Bolshevik” with his usual gusto.
Between the laughs the terror of McDormand’s Captain Dubois and the breathtaking virtual European tour the Zoosters’ accidental vacation is one worth taking. Madagascar 3 is by no means an insta-classic but it’s a perfectly suited for your Summer-at-the-movies oasis.

He passed away at a hospital in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday (18Apr12) after suffering a massive heart attack.
The industry legend was born in Mount Vernon, New York and embarked on his passion for showbusiness as a student at Syracuse University, working as a local DJ.
Upon graduating in 1951, he took a job at his father's radio station in upstate New York.
His career ultimately took off when he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to host his own musical show, Dick Clark's Caravan of Music, and, in 1956, he fronted popular TV dance show American Bandstand, which featured famous faces like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The show quickly became a staple for teenagers and young music fans - and today Bandstand is still considered one of America's favourites.
The icon launched Dick Clark Productions in 1963 and became famous for masterminding television awards shows and specials like Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which in 1972 evolved into an annual tradition with its year-end countdown and Times Square ball drop.
Unfortunately, Clark's health deteriorated in recent years and he suffered a stroke in 2004.
Despite his medical issues, frail body and speech problems, Clark returned to the annual New Year's Eve countdown show in 2005 with new co-host Ryan Seacrest by his side, and this past year (11/12) he fronted the special for the final time, sharing an onscreen kiss with his wife and now-widow Kari Wigton at the stroke of midnight.
The four-time Emmy Award winner is also survived by three children - son Richard from his first marriage to Barbara Mallery, and two kids, Duane and Cindy, with his ex-wife Loretta Martin.

In This Means War – a stylish action/rom-com hybrid from director McG – Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Chris Pine (Star Trek) star as CIA operatives whose close friendship is strained by the fires of romantic rivalry. Best pals FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are equally accomplished at the spy game but their fortunes diverge dramatically in the dating realm: FDR (so nicknamed for his obvious resemblance to our 32nd president) is a smooth-talking player with an endless string of conquests while Tuck is a straight-laced introvert whose love life has stalled since his divorce. Enter Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) a pretty plucky consumer-products evaluator who piques both their interests in separate unrelated encounters. Tuck meets her via an online-dating site FDR at a video-rental store. (That Lauren is tech-savvy enough to date online but still rents movies in video stores is either a testament to her fascinating mix of contradictions or more likely an example of lazy screenwriting.)
When Tuck and FDR realize they’re pursuing the same girl it sparks their respective competitive natures and they decide to make a friendly game of it. But what begins as a good-natured rivalry swiftly devolves into romantic bloodsport with both men using the vast array of espionage tools at their disposal – from digital surveillance to poison darts – to gain an edge in the battle for Lauren’s affections. If her constitutional rights happen to be violated repeatedly in the process then so be it.
Lauren for her part remains oblivious to the clandestine machinations of her dueling suitors and happily basks in the sudden attention from two gorgeous men. Herein we find the Reese Witherspoon Dilemma: While certainly desirable Lauren is far from the irresistible Helen of Troy type that would inspire the likes of Tuck and FDR to risk their friendship their careers and potential incarceration for. At several points in This Means War I found myself wondering if there were no other peppy blondes in Los Angeles (where the film is primarily set) for these men to pursue. Then again this is a film that wishes us to believe that Tom Hardy would have trouble finding a date so perhaps plausibility is not its strong point.
When Lauren needs advice she looks to her boozy foul-mouthed best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler). Essentially an extension of Handler’s talk-show persona – an acquired taste if there ever was one – Trish’s dialogue consists almost exclusively of filthy one-liners delivered in rapid-fire succession. Handler does have some choice lines – indeed they’re practically the centerpiece of This Means War’s ad campaign – but the film derives the bulk of its humor from the outrageous lengths Tuck and FDR go to sabotage each others’ efforts a raucous game of spy-versus-spy that carries the film long after Handler’s shtick has grown stale.
Business occasionally intrudes upon matters in the guise of Heinrich (Til Schweiger) a Teutonic arms dealer bent on revenge for the death of his brother. The subplot is largely an afterthought existing primarily as a means to provide third-act fireworks – and to allow McGenius an outlet for his ADD-inspired aesthetic proclivities. The film’s action scenes are edited in such a manic quick-cut fashion that they become almost laughably incoherent. In fairness to McG he does stage a rather marvelous sequence in the middle of the film in which Tuck and FDR surreptitiously skulk about Lauren's apartment unaware of each other's presence carefully avoiding detection by Lauren who grooves absentmindedly to Montel Jordan's "This Is How We Do It." The whole scene unfolds in one continuous take – or is at least craftily constructed to appear as such – captured by one very agile steadicam operator.
Whatever his flaws as a director McG is at least smart enough to know how much a witty script and appealing leads can compensate for a film’s structural and logical deficiencies. He proved as much with Charlie’s Angels a film that enjoys a permanent spot on many a critic’s Guilty Pleasures list and does so again with This Means War. The film coasts on the chemistry of its three co-stars and only runs into trouble when the time comes to resolve its romantic competition which by the end has driven its male protagonists to engage in all manner of underhanded and duplicitous activities. This Means War being a commercial film – and likely an expensive one at that – Witherspoon's heroine is mandated to make a choice and McG all but sidesteps the whole thorny matter of Tuck and FDR’s unwavering dishonesty not to mention their craven disregard for her privacy. (They regularly eavesdrop on her activities.) For all their obvious charms the truth is that neither deserves Lauren – or anything other than a lengthy jail sentence for that matter.
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Though ostensibly successful 2009’s The Final Destination represented to many a horror franchise on its last hackneyed legs. Rote uninspired and humorless it scored a (modest) hit only by virtue of the novelty -- and added ticket price -- of its 3D transfer. Two years later Final Destination 5 arrives with a slightly tweaked formula a beefed-up storyline actors you might actually recognize and genuine honest-to-goodness 3D. It’s still schlock mind you -- but artful schlock and a marked improvement over the preceding entry.
The story begins in familiar fashion with a cursory introduction to the characters followed by a grisly premonition that sees them perish wholesale. An assortment of cubicle-dwellers at a paper factory are being bused to a corporate retreat when one of them Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto perpetually bug-eyed) dreams of a massive bridge collapse in which he and his co-workers are impaled beheaded bisected crushed by cars singed by tar -- however many ways a suspension bridge can kill a person the film’s opening set-piece explores it gruesome detail. Sam awakens duly horrified and demands the bus be evacuated. Seconds later the employees watch in horror from the sidelines as Sam’s vision comes to fruition.
You know what happens next. One-by-one death stalks the survivors who meet their fate in a series of elaborately-staged incidents. Some are relatively straightforward; others involve fiendish head-fakes and red herrings. The range of victims is older and more colorful than in previous Final Destination films in which death preyed exclusively on attractive nubile teenagers but the end result is invariably the same. (Not to give anything away but those considering acupuncture or laser eye surgery would be wise to avoid the film entirely.) As death’s scheme becomes achingly evident Sam his lachrymose girlfriend Molly (Emma Bell) and his increasingly unhinged buddy Peter (Miles Fisher) become increasingly desperate. Enter the ever-ominous Tony Todd returning to the franchise after (wisely) taking the previous film off offering a potential way out. But is it genuine or just another of death’s cruel tricks?
Director Steven Quale a James Cameron protege hired principally for his 3D expertise takes full advantage of the added dimension delivering some of the most vivid and immersive 3D sequences in recent memory. Unlike The Final Destination which seemed little more than a amalgam of crude one-liners Final Destination 5 feels like a real movie one with a discernible plot an element of suspense and a handful characters who are more than just punchlines. Most of the actors are surprisingly competent save for Fisher a credible doppelganger for Tom Cruise (he parodied him 2008’s Superhero Movie) who imbues every line with couch-jumping intensity.
Final Destination 5 ends with a twist that while genuinely unexpected feels like a Hail Mary for a franchise that can’t forestall its inexorable descent into stale irrelevance despite the best of efforts from Quale. Its trademark formula has simply lost its potency -- a problem no amount of cosmetic upgrades however welcome can fix. That the film is bracketed by two pointless and time-consuming montages -- the first an animated sequence that hurtles various hazardous objects at the audience the second a greatest hits compilation of memorable kills from previous Final Destination films -- is a telltale sign that the saga’s creativity is on life support. Perhaps it’s time to pull the plug.